They don't want me to try anymore.

To everyone's surprise, including Richard's own, Zoe also passed the difficult challenge on her first try!

However, the little girl did not rely on her intelligence, but rather on the family heirloom necklace given to her by her mother, and the very coincidental awakening of the bloodline of a supernatural being on the spot, which allowed her to narrowly turn defeat into victory.

Richard remembered that his father, the King, had said that his cousin's family, the Wolf family, did indeed have some kind of non-human heritage, but they usually kept it a secret and rarely showed it to outsiders.

Moreover, although Wolff was a vassal of Connaught, historically they seemed to be older than the Targaryen family, only they had no interest in the crown.

Well, I'll need to look into that more in detail when I have time, but for now...

As long as you're happy!

"Richard, I did it!"

"here you go!"

Amidst the envious gazes of those who had failed the challenge, Richard lifted the smiling little girl up and spun her around. Her beautiful skirt fluttered in the sunlight, making her look like a butterfly.

By noon, everything had settled down.

There are over 300 new students this year. Among them, 30 students passed the high-difficulty exam, 100 students passed the medium-difficulty exam, and the remaining 170 students passed the low-difficulty exam.

These individuals will be assigned to three classes: Dawn, Silver Moon, and Starlight. Dawn will receive the best treatment, while Starlight will receive the worst. Of course, according to the school's official statement, these three classes are only ranked in order of arrival, and each class can produce great figures.

Richard and other new students in the Dawn Class also received corresponding rewards.

It includes twenty high-quality magic crystals the size of eggs, three bottles of stamina potions, and three meditation aids.

Next, all the students, whether happy or sad, were led to the castle on the hill.

The doors opened, and everyone was greeted by a variety of delicious foods.

Under the candlelight, glistening roast chicken and suckling pig, lamb and tender steak sprinkled with spices in the fragrant steam, fresh fish, shrimp and shellfish, and desserts piled high with cream...

Richard counted more than twenty different kinds of soup in various colors, including red, orange, yellow, and white, a lavishness that was never seen even in the royal palace of Connaught.

The rich culinary heritage of this vast country and the financial power of Saint Goethe are on full display at this moment.

Instantly, all the gloomy faces were replaced by the hunger after the battle.

Richard and his sister also joined the ranks of foodies.

After filling his stomach, Richard, like other students of noble birth, left the table, wanting to get to know the other students in the Dawn Class.

After all, this is essentially an aristocratic cocktail party.

It's tough on people from ordinary backgrounds, because they're unfamiliar with the atmosphere and feel somewhat awkward here. A few naturally gifted people can thrive, but the rest become the laughingstock of others, like Granny Liu in the Grand View Garden.

Richard, before finding his classmate, first encountered a beautiful figure wearing a bright green dress and with long, light blonde hair.

“Nice to meet you, Targaryen. I’m Linda Dulles, a third-year student. Your performance this morning was truly impressive…”

Richard's heart skipped a beat, and he remembered that Dulles was the surname of the Grand Duke of Firehorse in the southern part of the empire!

His fiefdom seems to be quite close to Connaught…

He replied cautiously and politely, "You flatter me, senior. I was just lucky."

"All luck must be based on ability, junior, you're too modest..."

After a brief chat, Miss Linda revealed her purpose: "To be honest, junior, I'm here to buy your newly acquired stamina potions."

"Hmm...shouldn't that kind of potion be easy to buy?"

Richard was puzzled by the request. Stamina potions might be expensive, but that shouldn't be a problem for the woman in front of him.

Linda smiled and explained, "The stamina potions given to the new students are always personally prepared by our headmaster. They are of much higher quality than those on the market and are priceless treasures that can be used directly in battle."

"So whenever we have the chance, we hope to stockpile as much as possible. Don't worry, as long as you agree to the deal, I'm willing to pay thirty gold coins..."

This price is enough to buy ten stamina potions outside.

And to be honest, thirty gold coins was a considerable sum for Richard's wallet—he had only asked Henry II for eight hundred gold coins before he left, as expenses for the coming year, which included the guards' salaries.

But after thinking for a moment, Richard shook his head.

If this stamina potion is really that effective, then it shouldn't be sold so easily.

At least not now.

As a newcomer, he lacked understanding of many things about the school.

As for money, Richard isn't exactly short of cash... especially with his [Golden Apostle] trait.

"I see, what a pity..."

Having understood Richard's meaning, Linda politely said goodbye and went to inquire about the other freshmen.

Huh?

Didn't any of the more exciting conflicts or plot twists occur?

It seems the nobles of the empire are easier to talk to than I expected...

"Richard, that's very rude of you."

Just as Richard was feeling somewhat relieved, another group of people came up to him, led by a blond mushroom-headed man who spoke in a rather rude tone.

This time, Richard recognized the person:

"Hamilton? Long time no see. Sorry, I forgot you were here too."

Connaught is not the only small country in the southern part of the empire. There are two other countries around it, which are slightly larger than Connaught and are considered to be brothers in distress facing the pressure of the empire. They have frequent exchanges with each other.

Hamilton was the second prince of the Grand Duchy of Cantau, two years older than Richard. The two were related by blood, but not as cousins. Instead, they were uncle and nephew—Richard was the uncle, but they usually addressed each other differently.

Hamilton is quite talented; he came to St. Goethe two years earlier.

He nodded slightly in response to Richard's greeting, then continued in a Beijing accent even more authentic and authentic than that of people from the capital:

“Richard, you may not know this now, but it is our responsibility as Nanbang students to show manners and etiquette and to maintain our friendship with the Empire.”

"Your rejection of Miss Linda was too rude and it damaged our image."

"Go and apologize to Miss Linda immediately and agree to her deal."

Chapter Twelve: That's not how you be a simp!

What should I do?

This abrupt "command" left Richard momentarily speechless.

Hamilton ignored his silence and continued, "Also, you must correct your accent..."

Oh, that's not impossible. It's perfectly normal to learn a local dialect while studying in another city, which makes it easier to communicate with others. That's how I learned Northeastern dialect in my previous life.

"...That savage, hoarse voice was awful."

ha?

This is not the reason I imagined.

"Besides..."

"and many more."

Richard interrupted Hamilton, suppressing his slight displeasure, and asked, "Thank you for your suggestion, but whether it's accents or potion transactions, it's ultimately my own business, isn't it?"

What does that have to do with you?

Hamilton raised his chin and gave a disdainful smile:

"I see. You haven't changed your ignorant mindset from the countryside yet. I thought you would have understood something after smelling the sweet air of Idaril..."

He said with a proud tone, "Where do you think this is? This is St. Goethe! Roland's highest institution of learning, the beacon of human civilization!"

"Now that we are here, we should be grateful and learn everything we can, and change everything we can. Only in this way can we integrate into the civilized world and mediate the relationship between the Empire and the Southern Kingdoms!"

"If everyone were as stubborn and ignorant as you, causing our friendly members of the imperial high society to be inexplicably surprised and ruining our friendships, that would be a sin!"

Richard's mouth was slightly agape as he understood the current situation.

Hamilton, oh Hamilton...

You're already the Empire's dog!

Richard could understand this choice, after all, he had also considered surrendering.

But surrendering requires skill!

One must maintain at least a basic level of dignity in attitude, and one cannot simply fawn over others... A sycophant cannot be a house dog; one must be able to please both sides and feign reluctance to have any value in uniting the people.

In his vision, if the resistance ultimately failed, those who surrendered would receive the same treatment as Guan Yu and Zhang Liao during the Three Kingdoms period.

If someone is like Hamilton, no one will respect them, and if they're unlucky, they might even end up being labeled a "traitorous villain who is useless to keep and should be dragged out and beheaded."

Thinking of this, Richard couldn't help but reveal a look of disgust mixed with a hint of pity.

He replied, "No need to say anything, Hamilton, I'll handle these things in my own way."

Hamilton's confident face suddenly changed, as if he hadn't expected to be rejected.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing within them. He crossed his arms and looked down at Richard with a somewhat condescending air, saying:

"Richard, you seem to have misunderstood something."

“This isn’t Connaught, that rural place with hundreds of thousands of people. You’re not a prince here.”